What is ICE prioritization

ICE is a fast method for prioritizing ideas and initiatives through evaluation by three criteria: Impact (effect), Confidence (confidence) and Ease (ease of execution). The final score is the product of the three values and helps to rank the options from the most promising to the weakest.

Criteria

• Impact: expected effect on the goal (revenue, conversion, NPS, saved time).
• Confidence: how confident we are in our estimates (data, tests, expertise).
• Ease: how much effort is required (complexity, resources, risks, time).

Scales and formula

• Scales: typically 1 to 10 for each criterion.
• Formula: ICE = Impact × Confidence × Ease.
• Alternative: average of the three, but the product is better at distinguishing.

Steps to apply

• Define the goal and horizon (for example, the next 3 months).
• Collect a list of ideas/initiatives.
• Create a rubric for evaluation by the three criteria, to reduce subjectivity.
• Evaluate each idea by I, C and E on a scale of 1–10.
• Calculate ICE and sort descending.
• Review the top ideas and apply additional constraints (dependencies, budgets).

Mini example

Idea A: Impact 8, Confidence 7, Ease 5. ICE = 8 × 7 × 5 = 280.

Idea B: Impact 6, Confidence 9, Ease 8. ICE = 6 × 9 × 8 = 432.

Idea B has a higher priority by ICE.

Good practices

• Normalize the scales with descriptions (for example, Ease=10: "1 day and 1 person", Ease=5: "1–2 weeks, small team").
• Evaluate in a group and use the median, to avoid extremes.
• Periodically calibrate example ideas, to maintain consistency.
• For Confidence use types of evidence: data from experiments, benchmarks, expert evaluation.
• Conduct quick reviews after new data (A/B test, user interview).

Common mistakes

• Over-praising ideas with high Impact, but not "easy", when the strategy requires bold moves.
• Ignoring dependencies and team capacity.
• Unrealistically high Confidence without evidence.
• Mixing time horizons (short-term and long-term) in the same ranking.

When to use ICE

• When you have many ideas and little time for deep analysis.
• As a first filter before more detailed evaluation (for example, business case).
• In product, marketing and growth teams for quick sprints.

Variations and comparisons

• RICE: adds Reach (how many people are affected), useful for campaigns and product features.
• PIE: Potential, Importance, Ease, popular in CRO.
• Value vs Effort: two-dimensional matrix, more intuitive, but less discriminative.

Advice

Use ICE as a "rough filter". For top initiatives, supplement with risk assessment, strategic alignment and dependencies, before committing resources.